<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Kind heart by Lollipop_Panda</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24652030">Kind heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lollipop_Panda/pseuds/Lollipop_Panda'>Lollipop_Panda</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A3! (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And they love him too, Character Study, Children, Gen, Juza loves his little brother and cousin, Juza-centric, Memories, Sibling Bonding, but very soft, childfic, kind of sad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:02:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,277</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24652030</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lollipop_Panda/pseuds/Lollipop_Panda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Throughout his childhood, Juza is told he's scary. </p>
<p>Throughout his childhood, Juza has a little brother and baby cousin who remind him he's not.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hyoudou Juuza &amp; Hyoudou Kumon, Hyoudou Juuza &amp; Hyoudou Kumon &amp; Sakisaka Muku, Hyoudou Juuza &amp; Sakisaka Muku</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>139</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Kind heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I love Muku, Juza and Kumon, even if I haven't actually properly met him yet. I love these three and I've been wanting to write for them for ages. </p>
<p>Thank Aja for encouraging me to post this, or it would have stayed hidden in my writing folder </p>
<p>I hope you enjoy ;w;</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Juza can’t really remember much before his fifth birthday. Some things though, he remembers with striking clarity: Juza can remember leaning over the cot, staring down at his baby brother, all tiny and pink and wrinkly. He can also remember the first time a tiny hand squeezed his one day while he timidly played next to Kumon.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>When he’s six, Juza comes home and hides under his covers, crying because the other kids had called him scary and mean, but Juza doesn’t remember ever being mean.</p>
<p>Maybe that’s just it though isn’t it? Maybe, he <i>is</i> mean and doesn’t even know it. Maybe he’s a horrible horrible person, and that’s why he looks scary like all the kids kept saying today.</p>
<p>“Nii-sa’?” Juza sniffles at the sound of his four-year old brother next to him, and he forces the tears back down, sitting up straight and pushing the covers away,</p>
<p>“What!?” He snaps, and then feels awful and sniffles again, wrapping his arms around his knees to keep himself from lashing out again. He doesn’t want his little brother to be scared of him too.</p>
<p>But Kumon just climbs on the bed next to him, almost falling onto him as he tries for a hug, still tiny while Juza is already the tallest in his year.</p>
<p>“Nii-sa’ cry…” Kumon’s bottom lip wobbles in the tell-tale sign of tears and Juza hates it when his little brother cries because Kumon is cute and nice, and cute and nice people don’t deserve to cry. So Juza does what Juza does best when Kumon is about to cry, and hugs him, patting his head like he’d learned to do from dad.</p>
<p>“S’okay…” He mumbles, sniffling again and making an angry face at himself. He has to take care of his little brother! He needs to do a good job! Now isn’t the time to be crying because he’s sad.</p>
<p>“Why nii-sa’ s-sad?” Kumon asks, looking up at him with wide gold eyes full of tears and determination, “Kumo’ help!”</p>
<p>Juza remembers a girl at school saying how stupid a classmate was because they couldn’t speak properly, and Juza thinks that she’s the stupid one, because Kumon is far from stupid, and Juza knows his little brother doesn’t work the same as them and he’s still learning despite it all and Juza is really really proud of him. It’s good to keep learning!</p>
<p>Juza sniffs again as he frowns unhappily at the memory, and Kumon sniffs too,</p>
<p>“Kumo’ do bad?” The bottom lip is stuck out again and Juza thinks this is a weapon much stronger than any of the action figures he sees on TV wielding guns and darts.</p>
<p>Because Juza is a good big brother and he loves his little brother very much, and wants him happy and will definitely be scary if he needs to for his little brother, he shakes his head and pats Kumon’s hair again,</p>
<p>“No Kumon, it’s not you,” He reassures, trying to use the voice that the adults use when they’re explaining something they know and he doesn’t, and, much to his relief, Kumon brightens up a little, that sparkle in his eyes returning, the one that Juza had promised himself to protect after watching a movie where the really cool hero did the same, vowing to protect the city.</p>
<p>One day, Juza will have a city to protect too. Kumon is only his first citizen.</p>
<p>“But nii-sa’ cry…” Kumon says again, and Juza isn’t very good at lying yet; he’d only told his first one last week, when Kumon had dropped his cereal bowl. And Juza had promised his reflection two months ago that he’d make sure to take care of his little brother with all the power he could manage. And lying is bad. So Juza tells the truth,</p>
<p>“People at school say I’m scary. I don’t want to be scary.” He sniffles again, because he really doesn’t want to be scary, because that would mean Kumon thinks he’s scary, and how can he take care of his little brother if Kumon is scared of him?</p>
<p>The next thing he knows Kumon is shuffling out of the hug, all frowns and unhappiness and Juza feels his own bottom lip wobbling,</p>
<p>“Nii-sa’ no scary!”</p>
<p>That’s not what Juza had been expecting, so he sits up straighter and stares wide-eyed at his little brother who’s crying for good now and unhappy and Juza feels very bad because he’s not doing a good job of keeping that promise he made to himself in the mirror.</p>
<p>“Nii-sa’ no scary! Nii-sa’ nice!” Kumon continues, tripping over his words as emotion chokes him up and Juza panics a little, because this morning Kumon had been doing good at talking, and now he’s not and Juza feels even worse, so he gently pulls Kumon back in and holds him close,</p>
<p>“Okay Mon-chan, I’m nice… nii-san is nice…” He agrees, patting his head again.</p>
<p>Kumon calms down. Juza is relieved.</p>
<p>And later, when they’ve had a nap and Juza is showing Kumon one of the story books he got from school, Kumon tells him, clear as a bell,</p>
<p>“Nii-san is the nicest, people who say nii-san is scary are not nice.”</p>
<p>Just like that, Juza knows he’s a nice person, even if others say different.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Juza remembers being four and leaning over the cot to peer at his baby cousin who’s first birthday was today, Kumon latched onto his sleeve, trying to hide. He remembers the way Muku had been crying and immediately stopped when he put his hand in and as careful as a four-year-old could be, patted him like he does to Kumon when he’s crying.</p>
<p>He remembers the crying stopping, and Kumon relaxing and peering over as well.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Juza is eight years old and feeling lonely. He doesn’t like it, especially not when he’s surrounded by people, but he can’t help it. School is a lonely place to him.</p>
<p>Juza remembers seeing actors, remembers watching in awe as they changed from one person to another, and wishing he could do that. Wishes he could be someone else completely.</p>
<p>Juza remembers going home and seeing Kumon talking animatedly for the first time that week, and thinks he’d rather be lonely than be someone else.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Juza is ten years old and a lot sadder than he thinks he should be at his age.</p>
<p>Juza sits alone in his bedroom, hiding from their family downstairs throwing a party for someone. Kumon isn’t even with him, coaxed downstairs by kind words and their parents’ reassuring presence.</p>
<p>It’s the only reason Juza is sort-of listening to the cacophony, ready to spring to his feet at a moment's notice if he needs to go and rescue his little brother.</p>
<p>As much as Kumon had made progress, and was now (usually) comfortable in crowds, Juza was still the only one to ever be able to calm him properly if needed. There’s a swell of pride at this knowledge, followed by guilt.</p>
<p>It’s nice that his little brother depends on him so much, and as much as Juza likes looking after him, he can’t help but wonder sometimes when Kumon is going to get tired of needing him. He guesses they’ll cross that bridge when they get to it.</p>
<p>He learned that expression just last week. He’s pleased he gets to use it.</p>
<p>In the meantime, Juza is going to keep the promise he made to his six year old self in the mirror of their old house and do his best to keep his little brother safe and happy.</p>
<p>A timid knock to his open door has Juza looking over before quickly averting his gaze from Muku, not wanting to scare him like he’s done all the other younger kids,</p>
<p>“Come in…” He answers slowly, bringing his knees up to his chest. He hears footsteps shuffle forwards and next thing he knows the seven-year-old is climbing onto the bed next to him, leaning into his side slowly, a bit like Juza does with Kumon when he’s struggling to talk. The thought helps him relax a little.</p>
<p>“Hi Juu-chan…” Muku’s voice is just as tiny as the rest of him, and Juza’s big brother instincts take over as he uncurls himself and wraps an arm around Muku’s shoulder,</p>
<p>“Hi…” He mumbles sullenly,</p>
<p>“Auntie said you’d be up here…She said you don’t like people much…” Juza’s nose twitches a little as he fights the sadness away and shrugs,</p>
<p>“S’more the other way around,” He answers slowly but honestly. He doesn’t like lying. He thinks it’s stupid. Juza glances over and sees Muku staring at him with wide watery eyes, so Juza moves his arm so he can pat Muku’s head, “S’okay, m’used to it,” He adds in reassurance, but he frowns as he feels Muku shake his head. He tries to stop the expression, because he knows the frowning only makes him scarier, and he doesn’t like being scary.</p>
<p>“It’s not okay…” Muku answers, stumbling over his words a little, but they come out full of determination even in his tiny voice, “Why don’t people like you, Juu-chan?” He asks, looking lost and hurt.</p>
<p>Juza sniffs and shrugs, Muku shifts and shuffles closer.</p>
<p>“I’m scary,” He answers simply, because that’s all there is to it.</p>
<p>“That’s stupid,” The strength of Muku’s voice has Juza blinking and looking at him properly for the first time today. His cousin is tiny and looks like the kittens that old man Maeda had found one day, but his eyes are full of determination, “Juu-chan is the nicest person I know! How can you be scary?”</p>
<p>Juza sniffles again and looks away with another shrug,</p>
<p>“I’unno…” He mumbles timidly, “S’the way I look…” The fact stings, but as he’d told Muku, he’s used to it. Or… trying to get used to it.</p>
<p>Muku sits up straight and frowns, but he’s interrupted by another knock at the door and they both look over to see Kumon hovering there, fidgeting and looking on the verge of tears and any other thought drops from Juza’s mind as he opens his other arm immediately.</p>
<p>A second later and Kumon is diving for the bed, scrambling up as fast as an eight-year-old ever can to mesh himself into his big brother’s side.</p>
<p>“Kyuu-chan?” Muku asks tentatively as Juza wraps his arm around him and holds him close, patting his head,</p>
<p>“Too many people?” Juza asks quietly, and when Kumon nods shakily next to him, all Juza does is nod and settle back down. On his other side, Muku falls quiet and gets himself comfortable as well, curling into Juza’s side like one of those kittens he was thinking of earlier.</p>
<p>They stay like that, listening absently to the noise downstairs, Juza patting both of their heads as the three of them relax slowly,</p>
<p>“Why’re you both up here?” Kumon asks slowly after a long silence, sniffing once. Juza has some tissues in his pocket for him, but no free hands. His shirt will just have to get wet for now,</p>
<p>“Too many people,” Juza answers slowly, feeling Muku shifting so that Kumon can see him nod. Kumon nods too and snuggles back into his big brother’s side.</p>
<p>“Say Kyuu-chan…” Muku breaks the silence, sitting up slowly, and the Hyodo siblings look at him, “You don’t think Juu-chan is scary, do you?” He asks, voice tiny and afraid, and Juza feels his heart skip a beat before his eyes sting and he sniffs, thinking he might need the tissues too.  </p>
<p>To both his and apparently Muku’s surprise, Kumon sits up straight and frowns, eyes beginning to water.</p>
<p>“No!” His baby brother cries out, his weaponised bottom lip stuck out, “Anyone who thinks nii-san is scary is stupid and blind! Nii-sa’ is the b-bestest! The- the nicest! The hands- handsomnest!” He looks at Muku all full of challenge and Juza hears Muku sniffle too, glancing at him and deciding he’s not going to have enough tissues for all of them,</p>
<p>“Good.” Their cousin states firmly before moving back to glue himself into Juza’s side, “Juu-chan and Kyuu-chan are the best.”</p>
<p>This is enough for Kumon to relax and nod enthusiastically, sniffling again before wrapping himself around his big brother.</p>
<p>Juza feels warm all over and a lot less alone.</p>
<p>Juza remembers a promise he made to himself in a mirror when he was six and thinks he needs to make another one for someone else.</p>
<p>Juza falls asleep with another citizen in the city he vowed to protect.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Juza is fifteen when he comes to terms with his looks. </p>
<p>Juza is sixteen when he decides he actually <i>really</i> doesn’t mind being alone. </p>
<p>Juza is seventeen as he watches the baby who’d stopped crying when he first saw him, now fourteen and brimming with confidence on stage.</p>
<p>Juza is seventeen as he stands on stage for the first time and falls in love with theatre all over again.</p>
<p>Juza is eighteen when Kumon joins the Summer troupe and speaks clearly, no trace of a struggle in his words.</p>
<p>Juza is eighteen when pride swells in his chest at how far Kumon and Muku have come.</p>
<p>Juza is nineteen when Kumon wraps an arm around his shoulder and grins at him, reminds him for the hundredth time that his big brother the nicest person ever, and anyone who thinks he’s actually scary is stupid.</p>
<p>Juza hears loud agreements from behind them, and sniffs.</p>
<p>Good thing he has those tissues in his pocket. Too bad he has an armful of baby brother and cousin.  </p>
<p>Hyodo Juza has a scary face, a kind heart, and an entire city to protect.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As usual, I'm on <a href="https://twitter.com/PocketoPanda">twitter</a> feel free to come yell at me about A3!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>